Fire Red, Ninja Black
by Kusari-Gama 61602
Summary: Ever since the Hard Master died, Snake-Eyes vowed not to grow close to anyone. Maybe a certain redhead can change that. SE/S. AU, slight OOC, cheesy cheesy cheesy fluff. DISCONTINUED... and in the process of being rewritten. Chill, people.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's** **Note: **This is set in my AU, so if the events and characters seem off, that could be the reason why. It's probably obvious from my writing that I have had _no military experience whatsoever_. This means that some customs and etiquette will be off. Please kindly correct them. I will DEFINITELY appreciate the help. Pointing out grammar errors would also be helpful.

* * *

It was loud. Too loud for Snake-Eyes' liking.

With that unpleasant thought in mind, he produced an oiled rag and ran it carefully along his beloved katana. Oh, well. At least all of his weapons were properly sharpened. Personally, he would have liked to stay in his room, away from all this noise and-

A roar of laughter and cursing rose from the rest of Team Alpha. Snake ground his teeth together. Card games. He never really saw what was so entertaining about putting down pieces of plastic, or betting money on outcomes determined by pure chance.

"Hey, Snake!"

Great. He glared at Clutch, who was tilting his chair backwards.

"Ya wanna join us?"

He shook his head.

"C'mon. It's fun!"

He shook his head again.

"Give it up, Clutch," Stalker ran his fingers through his hair, still chuckling. "You can't go against someone with a poker face like his."

Clutch ignored him. "What's the matter, Snake-Eyes? Scared of a little game?"

Snake's hand stopped moving along his sword. An eerie silence filled the room as all eyes focused on Clutch. "Dude." Breaker's voice was barely audible. "You shouldn't have said that."

"Games." The word fell from the commando's mouth in a single syllable. "You shouldn't be playing games. You should be training."

A groan. "You sound like Beach Head, Snake."

"He has a point. More training. Less dying." Snake stood up and tilted his sword at an angle, letting the light from the fluorescent bulbs overhead flash down the blade.

Clutch gulped nervously but still had the audacity to open his mouth again. "It's the greenies, isn't it? You've never liked greeting new recruits." The comment earned him a light smack from Stalker, which was far kinder than the punishment Snake appeared to be threatening with the way he held his sword.

Snake scowled. Greenshirts. Newbies that were supposedly the best of the best from other military branches. Normally, greenies were nothing more than a mere annoyance to him, but this time...

He returned the sword to its sheath, deep in thought. There were three women in this year's batch, which was far more than usual. Hawk was pleased to see that all women showed above-and-beyond scores in their fields of specialty, but still required all of Team Alpha to meet them. Snake didn't see the point to it. Was it a test? To show the women that they'd have to be just as strong, fast, and resilient as the men in front of them?

A faint noise reached his ears. Snake turned to face the door and smoothly strapped his sword to his back. A second later, the door opened. There was a chorus of chairs scraping the floor as everybody scrambled to their feet. "At ease." Hawk regarded each soldier carefully, watching for any sudden changes in facial expression. "As you all know, you'll be greeting the most recent batch of greenshirts. I know some of you may not want to." He briefly glanced at Snake-Eyes, but the man's expression remained neutral. "But you are the first Joes - the senior members. It's your duty to set an example for the recruits." He paused. "Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Sir!" was the unanimous reply.

Hawk allowed himself to smile a little. "Then let's get to it."

A few minutes later, Snake was surveying the group of greenies with a slight air of distaste. They appeared either too proud for their own good or about to wet themselves in fear. Casually, he shifted his right shoulder. A few pairs of eyes darted to him. He noted with some degree of disappointment and smugness that several greenshirts' eyes widened in alarm once they spotted the sword handle. Scaring them was always amusing the first few days. Any longer than that, and it got old and annoying. How was he supposed to possibly trust them with his life in a combat situation if they were afraid of his shadow?

He tuned out the sound of Hawk's voice and turned his attention to the female recruits. His eyebrows rose. A brunette, a blonde, and a redhead. The women all displayed auras of confidence beyond the usual greenie cockiness. Promising, but not enough. Not bad-looking women too, he had to admit. If they were as tough as they looked and didn't wash out, some guys were probably going to get kneed where it hurts the most; 'some guys' specifically including Clutch. What did Hawk say their codenames were? Ah, right... Cover Girl, Lady Jaye, and Scarlett. _Pretty easy to tell who's who,_ Snake mused. The blonde was obviously Cover Girl, and nobody but the redhead could be Scarlett. That left the brunette as Lady Jaye.

"This is Sergeant Snake-Eyes: Covert Mission Specialist and Commando. He will be your hand-to-hand instructor." That was all there was to his introduction. Hawk moved on, but murmurs sprung up. Snake's trained ears caught the words, "name fits him" and "who uses a sword nowadays?"

Hawk briefly glared at the group, successfully shutting them up. "You obviously weren't listening. This is Team Alpha - the best members of this entire operation. They are here as examples of what you need to become to be good enough for G.I. Joe. I will not be held responsible for any injuries you acquire should you challenge any one of them."

Everybody's eyes snapped forward, some a little wider than others, but one pair stared back at Snake's. He tensed. There was a certain spark in those two green eyes that immediately set him on edge.

He frowned. He could already tell that the redhead was going to be a problem. She didn't look like the kind to give up after being defeated. If anything, she was probably going to be like that one crazy kunoichi who kept attacking him even after he defeated her fair and square in a competition.

"That will be all for today. Dismissed."

Snake breathed a soft sigh of relief and promptly headed towards the dojo. Finally, a chance for some peace and quiet. He still felt eyes on him, but ignored them.

After all, nobody was dumb enough to interrupt him without good reason. Not even greenshirts.

But - of course - there is _always_ a first to everything.

* * *

"What do you mean you're following him?"

Scarlett smiled at her newfound friends. "Why can't I?"

Cover Girl shrugged, an action Lady Jaye mirrored. "He's a senior member. I doubt he wants newbies like us following him around like lost puppies. What are you planning?"

Scarlett had already begun walking towards where the man disappeared off to. "He's a member of Team Alpha."

"That wasn't the answer to my question." Jaye walked beside her. "I know you want to join Team Alpha - we all do, but I don't think bothering him will help you."

Scarlett shook her head. "That's not all. He's carrying a Japanese sword. He wouldn't be unless he knew how to use it well."

The two women exchanged a look. Of course. On their way to the Pit, Scarlett had mentioned that she has several black belts. "So... you're looking for a sparring partner?" Cover Girl tried.

The redhead nodded as she flashed a smile. "If he truly is the best, I want to spar with him to see where I stand."

"Fifty on him mopping the floor with you." Cover Girl smirked. "I doubt you'll survive more than five minutes."

Scarlett laughed and pointed teasingly at the former model. "You're on, Courtney."

Snake-Eyes was long gone by the time she turned around. Scarlett paused, thinking. She recalled the Pit having a dojo where hand-to-hand was held. Frowning to herself, she stared at her mental map of the Pit. The dojo was near the indoor firing range, which was easy enough to find. She located the dojo with no difficulty and started towards it. However, as she approached it, she sensed that something was... amiss.

The lights weren't on, and the door was slightly open. She chewed on her bottom lip. The absence of light meant that nobody was there, but the door should be closed.

A small bit of her was screaming at her to turn around and walk away, but the more stubborn part wanted to know what was going on. Cautiously, she stepped in. "Sergeant Snake-Eyes?" she whispered. "Are you in here?"

Not a second later, a deep voice hissed from behind her. "You've overstepped your boundaries, _Scarlett_."

* * *

**End Note: **Okay. Yes, I know I made Snake a little cold and a little mean, but that's how I imagine him before his relationship with Scarlett. After all, I highly doubt that he'll be very _friendly_ after the whole incident with Hard Master's death and Storm's supposed betrayal. And I don't think he likes greenies. That's just how things roll in my AU.


	2. Chapter 2

Scarlett wisely stood still. "I wasn't aware I needed your permission to to come here, Sergeant Snake-Eyes, sir." Her voice was steady and quiet.

"Why are you following me?" he demanded as he flipped the light switch. Light flooded the room.

She tried hard not to gape. _Oh, my..._ The dojo was huge! Punching bags and several stacks of what looked like bamboo were piled neatly in one corner, and the floor was covered with blue sparring mats. Two decorative Japanese paintings hung on opposing walls, with the third wall sporting an impressive sword rack. "Are those genuine Japanese katanas?" she gasped.

Snake snorted. "No, but they serve their purpose. You didn't answer my question."

"Hm?" Scarlett tore her eyes away from the swords. "I was looking for a sparring partner."

"And you thought I was a good candidate?" Snake narrowed his eyes. "What made you think that?"

"I want a challenge," she said casually. "And you look like you can provide just that."

He scowled. "You have no idea what you're talking about, greenie."

"It's Scarlett, not 'greenie'."

"Whatever, _Scarlett_. Can't it wait until tomorrow at hand-to-hand?" Snake could feel his irritation growing rapidly. He loathed cocky greenshirts. "Then you can show everybody your 'astonishing' fighting skills."

She raised both hands defensively. "Whoa, somebody woke up with a sunny attitude this morning. And if I wanted to show off, I would have waited until tomorrow." With relative ease, she slipped out of her boots and bowed before stepping onto a training mat. "So, you got several minutes to spare? Or is being a part of Team Alpha really that time-consuming?"

His frown deepened as he, too, joined her on the mat. "Why are you doing this?" Overconfident greenshirts were not unusual, but someone wanting to spar with him to help better themselves _was_ unusual. "What do you plan to gain from this?"

"A better understanding of my skills, perhaps." A rubber band materialized on her hand, and she tied her hair up with it. "This is G.I. Joe, is it not? Only the best of the best are allowed to stay." She smiled a slow smile. "Therefore, it would make sense that I would want to spar with a Joe to see where I fit in, and how I can improve."

She was right, he realized. _Tommy would have killed to have a student like her in the Arashikage_, he mused. He almost chuckled. Almost. "Alright. Don't say I didn't warn you." He bowed.

She returned the bow. "I don't need a warning."

He simply nodded and dropped into what was, as far as she could tell, a flawless ready stance. She followed suit, shifting her weight lightly on the balls of her feet as she waited for him to begin. With hardly a moment's hesitation, he led with a lightning-fast pair of jabs that she recognized as a probe of her skill as she easily blocked them. Her answer was the roundhouse kick that had caught so many of her tournament opponents off-guard years ago. She had planned to pull it a bit in case he didn't react in time, but her foot traveled unimpeded through the space his head had occupied a moment before.

Surprise nearly made her lose her balance. He was suddenly two feet to the left, giving her only an instant to dodge his spinning kick and regain her footing. She allowed herself the slightest of smiles. One thing was for sure; he was able to match her skill. She pressed forward to maintain the offensive with a whirlwind of blows. None landed, and she found herself dodging and blocking rapidly again. His foot flew past, inches from her face and too quick to see. Despite his fairly muscular form, he was as quick an opponent as she'd ever faced. She caught his next punch and nearly hooked his arm to throw him, but he twisted free at the last moment. One more punch glanced off her shoulder as she deflected it and they separated, circling for a few steps to reassess the fight.

She saw it then, in the looseness of his stance, the quarter-smile turning his lips, and the amused glint in his eyes. He was toying with her. He wasn't showing what he was really capable of. She was barely scratching the surface of his abilities. Hell, the entire time, they might as well have been dancing. It was too easy for him. _She_ was too easy.

And she _hated_ being easy.

Snake Eyes remained still as he watched the realization reflect in her eyes. The green depths began to spark with anger, and her stance stiffened ever so slightly. His opinion of her instantly fell a few notches. There was the inexperience, the overconfidence he'd seen earlier. A decent fighter, eager to learn, wasted with pride. He sent a fairly slow combination of simple hand strikes in her direction, watching for the telltale stiffness as she deflected each one, then casually dodged another one of her roundhouse kicks. Those seemed to be a redeeming feature of her skills. It took some effort to continue to appear nonchalant as she sent her heels flying in his direction. A certain lesson of the Hard Master's came to mind, and he stilled his own attacks, focusing entirely on dodging. Predictably, her anger only increased.

_"What is with you?!"_ she wanted to scream. _"This isn't sparring! This is taunting! You're not being serious!"_

Surprisingly, Snake chose that moment to glance at the door and visibly relax. Seizing the opportunity, Scarlett shoved him to the ground with a well-placed kick on his back. He didn't move even when she twisted his arms behind his back, but he grunted a little when she kneed his back to keep him down. Only after she had him pinned did Scarlett pause, confused.

"The hell was that?" she hissed. "Do you do that on the battlefield too? Drop down and play dead whenever you feel like it?"

Just then, the door of the dojo slid open, and a head poked in. "Hey, Snake. Stalker told me to tell you that-" Clutch's jaw dropped at the sight before him. He didn't speak for a few seconds, only stammering and muttering incomprehensibly, until he finally found his voice. "Holy SHIT! What the hell happened? What the-" He shook his head rapidly as he backed out of the dojo. "No, no, no. That can't happen..."

"What is it?" Snake asked coolly for someone immobilized on the ground.

Clutch gesticulated wildly at them. "Did... did that greenie just _trounce_ you?"

"Yes. Now, is the Pit on fire?"

The man blinked. "No."

"Is somebody dying?"

"... No."

"Is Hawk calling for me?"

"No."

"Then why are you bothering me?" he snapped.

Clutch straightened instantly. "Nothing, nothing. You know what? I'll tell you later. Later, like... at dinner. Um... bye. Have... fun? I guess? Don't get hurt." The door slammed as a loud voice called through the hallway. "Stalker? STALKER! You will not believe what I just _fucking_ saw! A greenie completely _kicked_ Snake's ass! You wouldn't believe it! I didn't even know it was possible to..." his voice faded as he walked further and further away.

Snake let out a long sigh and propped his chin up on the training mat. "Get off."

The knee drove just a _little_ deeper into his back. He winced. "I should make you _suffer_ for letting me win," Scarlett snarled. "Why did you do that? It doesn't benefit you, and it doesn't benefit me. Where's the logic?"

Snake shifted his hand slightly. His fingertips hovered directly above a pressure point on her hand. "Get off," he repeated.

Wisely, she released him. He got up on his feet in one graceful motion. "Once you find out how he acts around women," he slipped back into his boots, "you'll thank me."

"I don't need anybody's protection." Scarlett's lips thinned.

"I didn't say that." Snake strapped his sword in place. "Think of it as me swatting a mosquito for you."

"I don't _need_ someone swatting mosquitoes for me." She scowled.

He returned the frown, and held up his index finger. "One. I only swatted one. It's one stupid mosquito. Big deal." And with that, he was gone, so quietly that he might as well have vaporized into thin air.

* * *

"What? No bruises? No cuts?" Lady Jaye laughed as Scarlett sat down next to her and Cover Girl at their chosen table in the mess hall. "I'm impressed."

Cover Girl looked the redhead over. "You're covered in sweat. I'm guessing the workout went well? Do I owe you fifty dollars?"

"I... I'm not sure." Scarlett glowered as she tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "He's good. Really good. We weren't even sparring. It was more like a... an elaborate dance." She glanced at Cover Girl. "I lasted longer than five minutes, but he was going easy on me, so I don't think we owe each other anything."

"And I'm guessing you didn't like the, uh, dancing?" Lady Jaye shoved a forkful of meatloaf into her mouth. She grimaced a little.

"Nope." Scarlett directed her glare to the tray in front of her. "Where did he learn how to fight, anyways? What did you guys hear?"

The former model leaned a little closer to Scarlett before whispering. "I've heard rumors. Some of them cool, some of them not. Apparently, Snake-Eyes is a 'ninja'. He trained with a ninja clan or something like that."

"I wouldn't be surprised if he is." Scarlett grumbled. "And why are we whispering if everyone here knows this?"

"It's more fun this way." Lady Jaye added with a smile. "The rumors don't stop there. They say he has killed hundreds of people with a sword _alone_."

Cover Girl nodded, grinning. "He's supposedly the most dangerous man on the planet."

"And you like dangerous men, Courtney?" Scarlett's eyebrows rose in amusement.

The blonde tapped her chin, deep in thought. "I don't know. I might. More like dangerous men with hearts of gold."

"There's plenty of dangerous men here - you're literally surrounded by them." Jaye narrowed her eyes. "Ever heard of fraternization regulations? Be careful. It's hard enough getting in here. Don't get thrown out just because you have the hots for some soldier boy."

"They're hardly boys," Cover Girl pointed out cheekily.

"Well, _obviously_."

Scarlett laughed.

* * *

Special Thanks to Greentigerr for help on the action scenes.


End file.
